A SURPRISINGLY ENJOYABLE VISIT TO THE 24th SAITAMA CITY ART EXHIBITION

"Don't Cry" by Ikuko Kanai

I've never even heard of the annual Saitama City Art Exhibition, but while visiting Urawa I more or less stumbled across it and quickly realised that it was some sort of amateur/ hobbyist painting show. It is in fact organized by the Saitama City Art Exhibition Executive Committee and the Saitama City Artists Association, supported by Saitama City Council, Saitama City Board of Education, and the Saitama City Cultural Association.  It was also entirely free to enter!

As I walked through the portal, I thought that this exhibition of "Sunday painters" would be "good for a laugh," and, yes, it was, but that was not all. Some of the works were actually quite impressive, revealing the great depth of artistic talent in this country. 

"Plaster & Butterfly" by Mitsuko Sanai / "San Towa Mimi" by Hara

There were certainly quite a few painters who wore their hearts on their sleeves when it came to their influences, as we see with the De Chirico and Kandinsky-inspired canvases above.

But this sort of educated, overly self-aware, and less than original art was redeemed by the more unschooled artists who clumsily painted what they liked with an innocent joie de vivre.

"British Pub" by Kayoko Mori / "Old Soccer Man" by Toshiro Kinoshita

Really, what's not to love about these unpretentious efforts? After all, why wouldn't a bar girl be dressed up as Sherlock Holmes in a genuine British pub. I mean how would we know? When was the last time we were in a real British pub?

But while the finer polish was often lacking, many of the artists got much else right. Look at this rather excellent rendition of the circumscribed life of a goldfish. There is much in this work that strikes to the core of the subject matter here.

"Goldfish Swimming" by Yui Ogawa

Also, when it came to polish, there were several very skilled technicians on display. One of the best in terms of pure technique was this beautifully lit view of what may in fact be a drainage ditch in one of Saitama's many parks. 

"Bridge" by Mitsuo Takashi

But the subject that seemed to most strongly inspire many of the painters was "family," in particular with paintings of children and grandchildren. This revealed the strong filial ties between the generations that still exist in Japan. 

"Shichi-Go-San" by Nobumasa Yokote / "Ninja Snack Time" by Horiike Yasumoto

There was something quite convincing about the two efforts above and the one below, which are no doubt destined to become family heirlooms, rather than items snapped up by the cut-and-thrust of the ruthless Tokyo art world. 

"I Can Hear the Silence" by Kaoru Kobayashi

One of my favourites was this view below, partly because it was instantly recognizable to me as a sort of landmark on one of my longer bicycle commutes (around 15 km) some years ago. 

"Interchange" by Shintaro Yanagi

But let's not forget the funny side. There were plenty of paintings that put a smile on my face and nearly drew an audible laugh, like this rather slapdash but adorable depiction of a family pet.

"Play II" by Masumi Miura

These paintings are from the 3nd Period of the exhibition, October 13-18. This will be followed by the Selected Works Exhibition October 20-25. 

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